"Ryan, I knew you wouldn't just sit back and watch our people suffer like this."
Raven let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, relief and excitement flashing across her face as she looked at him. The tension from earlier hadn't disappeared, but now it had direction—something solid to hold onto.
"But Ryan… what exactly are we going to do?"
Hank adjusted his glasses as he leaned forward slightly, his curiosity pushing past his earlier frustration. He wanted answers, something concrete he could believe in.
Ryan didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took a moment, his gaze steady as he looked between the two of them, weighing his words before speaking.
"The United States painted mutants as monsters. They twisted what happened in Cuba and turned us into executioners in the eyes of the world."
His tone remained calm, but there was a clear edge beneath it.
"If that's the game they want to play, then the first thing we do is simple—we give the world the truth. We make sure people understand what really happened."
He wasn't denying what he had done.
He and Eric had destroyed those fleets. That much was undeniable.
But there had been a cause.
Those fleets had attacked first.
That detail—critical, undeniable—had been completely erased from the narrative. Instead, mutants like him and Eric were being portrayed as unhinged threats, no different from lunatics bent on destroying the world.
Meanwhile, the fleets were framed as innocent victims.
Ryan wasn't about to accept that.
"They want to rewrite reality," he said flatly. "Not happening."
Raven stepped closer, her voice filled with urgency. "Then tell me what we're doing. We can't just sit around—we have to act."
Ryan's lips curved slightly, a hint of something almost playful beneath the surface.
"First," he said, "we're going to pick up one of our people."
Raven blinked. "One of our people? Who?"
"You'll see when we get there."
The answer only made her more curious. She narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly wanting to press further, but the look on Ryan's face told her he wasn't going to say more.
He was enjoying this.
Still, the mystery only made her anticipation grow stronger.
"Come on," Ryan said, already turning toward the door. "Let's not keep them waiting."
Raven didn't hesitate. She moved immediately, falling into step beside him, her earlier frustration now replaced with sharp focus.
Behind them, Hank stood up as well, hurrying after them.
"Ryan—what about me?"
There was something in his voice this time. Not just curiosity, but a quiet hope that he wouldn't be left behind again.
Ryan stopped and glanced back at him.
"For this one, Raven and I are enough," he said casually. "Stay here and wait for us."
Hank's shoulders lowered slightly, though he nodded.
"Alright… just be careful."
But the disappointment in his eyes didn't go unnoticed.
For a long time, Hank had found himself on the sidelines in most operations. Aside from moments like piloting during Cuba, he rarely played a direct role in the field.
Before, Raven had been there with him. That had made things easier.
Now even she was leaving.
And he was still standing still.
The feeling crept in before he could stop it.
Useless.
Ryan studied him for a moment before speaking again, his tone more serious this time.
"Hank, everyone has their place. Yours just isn't on the battlefield."
Hank looked up, clearly unconvinced.
"You're not replaceable," Ryan continued. "There are things only you can do."
Hank hesitated, then let out a small, uncertain breath.
"Like what? Because I really do want to help. Especially now."
Ryan thought for a second before answering.
"You'll get your chance. There's a lot we need built."
Hank's eyes sharpened instantly. "Built? What kind of things?"
Ryan replied without hesitation.
"A brainwave amplifier. A high-speed jet. Things like that."
Raven frowned slightly at that. "The brainwave amplifier? That only works for Charles. No one else can use it."
Ryan glanced at her, his expression carrying a hint of meaning.
"Charles isn't the only one with telepathic abilities."
That single sentence was enough.
Raven and Hank exchanged a quick look, understanding dawning almost immediately. Whoever Ryan was planning to bring back… was a telepath.
Hank pushed his glasses up again, his mind already racing. "I can rebuild the amplifier. That's not the issue. But it requires a lot of funding, and this place—this isn't suitable for that kind of setup."
"That's your next job," Ryan said. "Selena will coordinate with you. Find us a proper base and handle the modifications."
He paused briefly before adding, almost casually, "Money isn't a concern. Just tell me what you need."
Hank blinked, then straightened slightly.
"A base… for mutants?"
The idea alone lit something inside him.
Ryan nodded. "Exactly. We're going to need space. And once we start, more people will come."
Hank's expression changed completely.
"You mean… we're actually building something? A place for our kind?"
"Yes," Ryan said simply. "And you and Raven will be running it."
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then the weight of it hit.
A base. A real one.
Not just survival, not just hiding—but something structured, something meaningful.
Hank felt his earlier frustration burn away, replaced with something far stronger.
Purpose.
"That sounds… incredible," he said quietly.
Ryan smiled faintly and gave his shoulder a light pat before turning again.
At the entrance, Selena was already approaching.
"Supreme, are you heading out?"
Ryan gave a short nod.
Selena didn't waste time. She issued a few quick instructions, and within minutes, a sleek black Mercedes rolled into the courtyard, stopping directly in front of them.
Ryan declined the driver without a second thought. He took the wheel himself, with Raven sliding into the passenger seat.
Then they were gone.
…
Several hours later, the car slowed and came to a stop along a quiet roadside.
Raven leaned forward slightly, peering through the windshield.
The moment she recognized the building ahead, her eyes widened.
"Ryan… don't tell me…"
Her voice rose involuntarily.
"That's… CIA headquarters."
The structure stood tall and imposing, a symbol of authority and power. Security was tight, the atmosphere heavy even from a distance.
Raven turned to him, half-expecting a smirk or some kind of joke.
She didn't get one.
Ryan looked completely serious.
"You're kidding, right?"
He shook his head.
"No."
Raven stared at him for a second, then let out a short, incredulous laugh.
"You're serious…"
"Yes," Ryan said calmly. "There's one of our people inside. A telepath."
He kept it simple.
"She's our first recruit."
Raven's expression shifted, the disbelief fading into focus.
"A telepath… like Charles?"
Ryan nodded slightly.
"Something like that."
What he didn't say out loud was just how valuable this particular telepath was.
The White Queen.
One of the most capable telepaths out there.
She could block Charles himself, manipulate perception, even create illusions out of nothing. In some aspects, her abilities went beyond what Charles could do.
Leaving someone like that in the hands of the CIA?
That would be a waste.
And worse—it would be dangerous.
Ryan looked at the facility again, his eyes narrowing just slightly.
Time to take her back.
.....
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